“The greatest inspiration is often born of desperation.” -Comer Cotrell, American Entrepreneur (1931- )

In the face of hardship and disaster, one most often finds the most inspiring people you will ever come across. For many when we reach the point of desperation we find ourselves over whelmed and wanting to give up, but lucky for us many others find their true voice and power to lead in the most trying times.  Mothers who do anything they can to ensure their child is not only fed and clothed, but has access to education, despite the fact they live in a refugee camp.  A father who sells all he has to ensure his child is fed, while he goes hungry.  A young boy who stands courageous in the face of rebels soldiers so that his sisters may run to safety.  It is the most desperate of times that bring forth the most unknowing, and unhonored hero’s.  It is this inspiration that is rarely shared, but impacts more than one

However inspiration does not need to always come from desperation, and to see that children are never without inspiration to learn, to dream and never stop achiving we must ensure they are never without everyday heros.  It often only takes one simple action to ispire a child, show them love and compassion, show them understanding, teach them to never give up and most of teach them to dream.  When you inspire a child to dream and achieve, you are not just helping them to plant the seeds of a dream, but helping them to grow a future. When you inspire youth, you are inspiring the leaders of tomorrow!

You see their faces plastered across newspapers and even catch a glimpse on the evening news, but you never really get a clear picture of what a day in the life of a refugee is like, and now you can thanks to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), where you can take a virtual tour of a refugee or internally displaced persons (IDP) camp. With A Refugee Camp On The Web you begin your journey like all displaced persons with your ’search for safety’, questioning where you will live as you begin your journey of survival in the face of disaster and conflict. Food, water, and disease become your daily battles, while you linger in what is quite literally a no mans land, wondering what the future holds and when and if you can ever return home…and if you do what will ‘home’ even be like. While the MSF site spares you the sounds of spraying bullets, confusion and rush to search for shelter and food, seeing the look of fear in a mothers eyes who cannot save her child, it does give you great insight into the life and struggles of a refugee for an eye opening experience to better let you understand what some 42 million people around the world are forced to live like.

The IRC also has a refugee quiz, take the quiz and see how much you really know about refugees, the answer may surprise you!

Ageing Shanghai urges 2nd baby for eligible couples
For the first time in decades, some officials are openly calling for Chinese to have more than one child. Shanghai city officials worry the rapidly increasing percentage of residents older than 60, combined with low birth rates, will tax the country’s ability to support its aging population.

Millions of Afghan children forced to work
Millions of Afghan children have been forced into the workforce through a combination of prolonged conflict, grinding poverty and a lack of education, Afghan and United Nations officials say. More than 1 million are the main breadwinners for their families, and in most cases, the working children sacrifice their education to contribute to the family income.

UNICEF uses text messages to spread the word about polio in Zambia
UNICEF has partnered with Zambian health officials and telecommunications companies to text millions of parents in support of a polio immunization drive. The texts encourage parents to bring in their children for free polio vaccines.

Israel cuts 1948 ‘catastrophe’ from Arabic texts
School-age Israeli Arabs no longer will read about the 1948 founding of Israel called “al-naqba,” or “catastrophe,” in officially sanctioned textbooks. Education Minister Gideon Saar of the right-wing Likud party announced the move, saying, “No other country in the world, in its official curriculum, would treat the fact of its founding as a catastrophe.” One Israeli Arab lawmaker, Hana Sweid, said the textbook cut was a “major attack” on Palestinian Arab memory and identity.

Kenya: Doctors Asked to Stop Female Cut Operations
Traditionally performed by midwives and religious leaders, FGM is increasingly being done by medical professionals. This has been dubbed the “medicalisation of FGM”. In a meeting that started in Nairobi which will end on Wednesday, UN officials, medical professionals and representatives from the ministry of Public Health and Sanitation are discussing how to end this trend.

Global Fund concerned about funding targets
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria likely will fall short in its efforts to find $30 billion in funding next year from donors besieged by the ongoing global recession, the Fund’s Executive Director Michel Kazatchkine says.

Urban poor and hungry burgeoning unnoticed
The number of poor and food-insecure people in developing countries is increasing more quickly in urban areas than in rural areas, and could be dropping off the policy radar, says new research by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). “Poverty is still viewed by many as a rural problem, as both governments and donors continue to allocate resources to rural development in order to reverse the bias of urban policies of the 1970s and 1980s,” Shahla Shapouri and Stacey Rosen, researchers in the department’s Economic Research Services, write in the USDA’s Food Security Assessment 2008-09.

Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.

True peace with oneself and with the world around us can only be achieved through the development of mental peace. The other phenomena mentioned above are similarly interrelated. Thus, for example, we see that a clean environment, wealth or democracy mean little in the face of war, especially nuclear war, and that material development is not sufficient to ensure human happiness.

Material progress is of course important for human advancement. In Tibet, we paid much to little attention to technological and economic development, and today we realize that this was a mistake. At the same time, material development without spiritual development can also cause serious problems. In some countries too much attention is paid to external things and very little importance is given to inner development. I believe both are important and must be developed side by side so as to achieve a good balance between them. Tibetans are always described by foreign visitors as being a happy, jovial people. This is part of our national character, formed by cultural and religious values that stress the importance of mental peace through the generation of love and kindness to all other living sentient beings, both human and animal. Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility. In that state of mind you can deal with situations with calmness and reason, while keeping your inner happiness. This is very important. Without this inner peace, no matter how comfortable your life is materially, you may still be worried, disturbed or unhappy because of circumstances.
-The Dali Lama, The Nobel Lecture, December 11, 1989

What strikes me most about the Dali Lama’s speech is his reference to the fact that peace has little meaning if one is in varying states of suffering.  If one is hungry, cold, abused, unloved, homeless, etc. then what good is peace if you are missing the basic necessities of humanity, how can one seek peace with such a high priority when they are merely trying to survive.  It is often this survival mode that we go into that breads the roots of conflict and hate, for one will often do anything to survive or see that their family is safe and cared for.  Thus it is essential if we are to have a world at true peace, that we work tirelessly to eradicate poverty and disease.  That we place our focuses heavily on education and sustainable development.

To add to the post, India Continues to Battle Against Child Labor, which the 1986 Child Labor Prohibition and Regulation Act that stated that children under fourteen years of age were prohibited to be employed in occupations deemed hazardous, and then the 2006 law, which banned the use of child labor for domestic purposes, and in the hospitality industry.  In spite specific laws, India remains the worlds worst offender in regards to child labor abuses. Industries such as commercial sex, rug manufacturing, textiles, sports equipment, have all found themselves in the main stream spotlight, and while fashion often hits the radar, what about the beauty industry?  Do you think of slavery as you apply your lipstick and mascara, while running out the door, sheepishly at your desk or in between green lights as you rush to work?

As an abolitionist, writer, and founder of a non-profit to support survivors of modern slavery, I too still find myself often shocked and left in wonderment at where slavery can be seen.  I know it has no face, can happen to anyone, occurs everywhere and is almost like a shape-shifter in its ability to come in any form, yet I have to be honest I missed this one in my conscious effort to be as aware and slave free in my daily life.  I buy fair trade coffee, tea, chocolate and sugar as my regular staples, as well I try to do the same when I buy clothes, accessories, sports equipment, and I reuse and recycle as much as I can.  But there is one place that even I didn’t stop to think about slavery being in the supply chain…my make-up!

You know that sparkle that you love in your favorite eyeshadow, well it just happens that the shine you love so well may have taken a small child hours to beat out of a stone.  Yes, child labor is used in cosmetics industry, the shine in many cosmetics comes from mica, a sheet silicate (phyllosilicate) mineral.  Mica, is a transparent mineral which is mined from the earth in thin sheets, and it is often opalescent and sparkling, but can be completely matte, and ranges in color from gray to blue to green.

Deep in the jungle of Jharkhand state in eastern India, at the end of a rutted track passable only by motorbike, a six-year-old girl named Sonia sat in the scorching midday sun, sifting jagged stones in an open-cast mine in the hope of earning enough money for a meal.  Sonia was halfway through her working day and she was already exhausted and dishevelled. Her hair was matted and her pretty flower-patterned dress spoilt by dust. She barely had enough energy to glance at her eight-year-old cousin Guri, toiling intently beside her as they searched the stones for pieces of mica… If the girls spotted enough mica, they might earn 63p each for a 12-hour day. If they found none, they would probably go hungry.(Times)

They say there is a price to be paid for beauty, they just didn’t tell us that the price would have to be paid by children.  Now when you put on your silver simmer eyeshadow for that big night out, will you wonder if children forced to make that color that just makes your eyes pop?  I know I sure will!

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) there is an estimated 165 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 whom are actively involved in child labor.  Just over a month ago on June 11th we celebrated World Day Against Child Labor, which as I stated in my post, that this year was one of great historical importance, as this year also marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182, which addresses the need for action to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.  The 2009 theme for World Day Against Child Labor was: ‘Education: The right response to child labor’. This year the ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) has established the campaign to tackle the right to education for all children to brake the chain of child labor that envelops millions of children worldwide.  The rate of child labor in a country has a direct correlation to education and literacy rates, both of which directly impact poverty and poverty once again is one of the main factors in the use of child labor.  Therefore it is a continuous cycle that often goes unbroken for generations and generations.  Some 75 million children worldwide are without access to basic primary education, an issue which the ILO addressed its 97th conference.

One country which continues to fall short in its battle against child labor is India.  Despite the establishment of a law in 2006 which banned the use of child labor for domestic purposes, and in the hospitality industry, India remains the worlds worst offender, as the country has more child labors than anywhere else across the globe.  While the law itself was a great achievement, it has proven to hold little force, despite fines and the threat of jail time.

“Since the law came into effect, the government has only found 6,782 child workers in jobs like domestic service and roadside restaurants but we know that there are millions of kids working out there,” Kailash Satyarthi, who founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement), one of India’s leading child rights groups, stated. “From this, there has only been 1,680 prosecutions launched against employers but not a single conviction has taken place.” (AP)

One reason for the slow enforcement of the law is rooted in an impoverished cultural view, where few see any crime, or true detriment to using children as a provider of income for a family.  The other obstacle is simply a lack of will on the part of law enforcement, which is often compounded by bribery and a lack of education on the true realities and impact of the use of child labor.

School children wear 'Stop Child Labour' masks in Hyderabad, India, on June 12, 2008 NOAH SEELAM / AFP / Getty Images

The 2006 law is not the first attempt by the Indian state to enact laws to address the country’s dire child labor problem, nor is it the fist failed attempt at eradicating one of the worst violations against children’s rights.  In fact the Indian government has some  made efforts to prohibit child labor by enacting Child labor laws in India including the 1986 Child Labor Prohibition and Regulation Act that stated that children under fourteen years of age were prohibited to be employed in occupations deemed hazardous.

Current figures by the Indian government estimate that more than 12 million children under the age of 14 remain employed as domestic servants, miners, carpet weavers, tea sellers, street peddlers, or in the hospitality industry (Indian State) in spite of the 2006 law, however activists estimate the true figures to be that of at least five times that.  The governments figures also fail to address those who continue to be forced to work in situations of hard labor, such as in mining often forces to break stones with their bare hands, or left to work in the textiles industry, such as to embroider saris.

The battle against child labor in India looks to continue to rage on, as millions of children toil away in hazardous and abusive conditions, while laws sit idle as immunity for such crimes against children  find themselves lost somewhere in a cultural vacuum.

Please see my previous posts; India’s Stubborn Child Labor and Continuing Child Malnutrition in India

Eyes have fallen off of Sri Lanka since the country ended it’s 26 year civil war ended in May 2009. The conflict ended with the governments forces final defeat of the insurgent Tamil Tigers rebel group (LTTE).

Over the years, especially in the last few years of the conflict international human rights groups repeatedly called for action due to the continuous crimes on the civilian population, including torture and the use of child soldiers, however the conflict continued to cause displacement, death, and poverty. Children were one of the biggest targets of the violence and hostility, as some quarter of a million people were displaced, the large majority of which were children, left without their basic fundamental rights to education, healthcare and nutrition.

However while the conflict may be over the situation for civilians continues to be a daily struggle to rebuild their lives, no one has a more difficult time adjusting to peace and reintegrating into post-conflict peace than that of the children who were caught in the heart of the conflict, the child soldiers of the Tamil Tigers.  UNICEF estimates that from 2003 to the end of 2008, over 6,000 children were reportedly recruited by Tamil rebels, however the true figure is largely thought to have skyrocketed as the conflict went into it’s final months.

Hope for an end to the long standing conflict almost ended after the ending of the 2002 cease fire on January 16, 2008, which culminated with more violence.  After the escalating violence a UN Human Rights Council meeting was held that same month, were a final resolution was passed by the Council, applauding the countries new policies and cooperative efforts.  In the northeastern part of the country it is estimated that some, 3000,000 Tamil civilians are still in government camps after being displaced during the conflict. However human rights observers have stated that the camps are little more than prisons, for which many children are being held in. Yet the Sri Lanka government is now saying that it no longer needs the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who warning of a possible humanitarian catastrophe  and thus set the government on edge, and thus left the international community with heavy concerns that without observers violations may continue.

Some children, and young adults that were forcibly recruited, and, or kidnapped as children, have found their way into rehabilitation and reintegration programs, however have found that returning to civilian life is not an easy feat.  After years, some near lifetimes, as child soldiers, trained to kill and with little other skills, social, educational or even many simple life skills, reintegration is a long and hard battle, and for those that may have fought unimaginable battles this one will be their hardest.

As the final LTTE battle ended some 112 former soldiers, between the ages of 14-29 years-old, arrived at the Protection and Rehabilitation Centre in Ambepussa.  At the rehabilitation center the former combatants are given vocational training, and education in math, computer science and languages, and sometimes they even get to participate in cultural and sporting events and occasional field trips (The Economist).  However those who made it to the center in Ambepussa are the lucky ones.

What is the future for the children of of Sri Lanka’s longstanding war?  The answer remains unknown for all the children affected, weather as child soldiers, displaced or forced to witness endless violence, all will require a great deal of resources and care, all of which is limited.  The true long-term affects on civil society in the country will not be seen for years to come, but there appears to be an inevitable trend for disability unless serious and sustainable rehabilitation programs are put into place on a much larger scale.

You can see my previous posts on Sri Lanka, such as Conflict Continues to Destroy Children’s Lives in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Children Malnurished Despite Health Programs, for further information on the background of the conflict.

World Bank says broadband is key to economic progress
Widespread access to information technology reduces poverty and African countries should put more focus on decreasing the costs of broadband access, the World Bank says. While some progress has been made with innovative mobile banking and free call roaming, African countries continue to have the world’s poorest overall IT performance.

WHO warns of vaccine shortfall for coming flu season
Worldwide production and supply of H1N1 vaccines likely are insufficient to meet need for the upcoming fall flu season, and health care workers should be the first to receive vaccinations, the World Health Organization says. Vaccination of health workers will help guarantee the continuity of health care systems in the event of widespread infections, according to the WHO.

Former Rwanda governor sentenced to life for 1994 genocide in the country
Former Rwanda governor and military commander Tharcisse Renzaho was sentenced to life in prison on five counts of genocide and crimes against humanity. As the governor of the Rwandan capital, Kigali, Renzaho held authority over the police force, implicating him in the thousands of deaths that occurred in the 100-day 1994 genocide in which more than half a million Tutsis were killed. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which sentenced Renzaho, has handed down judgments for nearly 39 people.

Taylor labels Hague case ‘lies’
Former Liberian President Charles Taylor took the stand to dismiss the charges explained by the prosecution as “lies,” including accusations he provided military assistance to Revolutionary United Front rebels and plotted to invade Sierra Leone. He also denied receiving coffee tins full of blood diamonds from the RUF.

Philippine bombings: No one is a suspect and everyone is to blame
Despite three recent bombings in the southern Philippines, the UN has resumed relief operations in the troubled area. Concerns about the safety of the region and travel restrictions curtailed the activity of the UN World Food Program, which provides food to half a million people displaced by violence since the fall. No one has taken responsibility for the bombings, and suspicions as to the culprit or culprits are running rampant.

India ‘racing’ to wipe out polio
Outdated health systems, malnourishment and population movements continue to adversely affect India’s efforts to eradicate polio. Officials have used bikes, small boats, and elephant and camel convoys to reach far-flung villages during the past three months in a bid to immunize 172 million children

G8 pledges $20 bln in farm aid to poor nations
G-8 leaders pledged $20 billion in aid to poor countries during the next three years to shore up food stocks amid the ongoing global recession and build agricultural capacity. Developing countries applauded the move, which expanded the expected commitment by $5 billion, but expressed worry about past failures to keep aid promises.

“We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do.” - Brigham Young

Children look to adults for guidance, we are no only care takers, but natural role models. Children watch closely those adults around them for examples of how to act, how to behaveand what paths in life to follow.  We most not only show them how to be selfless leaders, but ensure that we abuse not their innocence or exploit their youth.

To create both a better world today and tomorrow, we must lead our children down a path of full of selfless acts, of kindness and peace.  The future is built on the generosity of mankind, but can be destroyed by greed.

The fragmented country of Somalia is no stranger to conflict and the last two years of fighting has increasingly taken a toll on the lives of everyone in the country, especially the children. Somalia is quite literally a raging battle ground, as fighting in the country continues, as insurgents exchange fire with the Somali government, Ethiopian troops and African Union peacekeepers.

The spiraling downfall of Somalia began in January 1991, when former President Siad Barre was overthrown, which has since left the country without any form of an operational government. The lawless country has spent the almost two decades locked in endless fighting, between various Islamic insurgent coalitions and government forces, warlords, and the government.

It had seemed like the insurgent attacks against the government were to slowing down in the early part of 2009, however since May the attacks have resumed in the capital, Mogadishu, and other areas.  Last month, on June 18th, a suicide bomber killed Somalia’s Security Minister and at least 30 other people 150 miles to the north of Mogadishu, making it the deadliest suicide bomb attack in the countries history. The recent fighting has culminated in the deaths of hundreds of Somalis and the displacement of hundreds of thousands. In June 2009, some 170,000 were displaced from Mogadishu (an autonomous region, which is part of the Somali republic; however it remains unrecognized by any country or international organization since its inception in 1991). According to local human rights groups, there have been 397 deaths, and some 1,738 injured since 7 May 2007. However the current displacements are not the country’s worst, as in November 2007, the number of refugees hit one million, according to the United Nations. Most of the displaced have fled Somalia, mainly from the capital Mogadishu residing in Somaliland. To see more on the history of the conflict in Somalia see the conflict timeline from 2000 here.

Women and children have been especially vulnerable in the city as looting and rapes are prevalent. The number of orphans continues to rise, and the situation for them and other vulnerable children remains desolate and is increasingly critical with no government support and assistance for them. Additionally aid workers remain targets, and piracy off the country’s coast continues. While addition the naval forces have continued to work to eliminate ship seizures and escort World Food Program and other Aid deliveries, it continues to significantly impact the aid children and families in dire need.

Not only is Somalia a lawless land of conflict, but it is one of the worlds harshest places to live environmentally, and the countries strong culture of pastoralism (nomadic way of life) on increases the impact on a child’s chances of survival.  A Somali child has less chance of living to adulthood than a child in any other part of the world. The high child mortality rates are rooted in a number of causes, mainly due to  primarily preventable diseases, dehydration, malnutrition, lack of safe water, and poor sanitation.  Not only is a child’s future hindered by health, but only one in five children actually receive any form of education.  Many children are left the primary or sole caretakers, and with low literacy rates the future is far from hopeful for most. (UNICEF)

Last November, I brought you the piece, Have We Forgotten Somalia?, and it appears that we have as children continue to live in the country dubbed by UNICEF as ‘the worst place in the world for children’. The country’s future state continues to remain a volatile hotbed for violence, and the future of the countries children remains bleak.